Best coffee table firearm book

I have a itch for a good coffee table (or bathroom if you rather) book on firearms, particulary a historical book. Something with a lot of pictures that is good to browse through. Not a text filled good read, just a simple fun book to keep out for guest to flip through. (BTW I do like to READ, but that is for another thread).

I particularly love The Marlin Firearms book: If you like Levers and the history that surrounds them.

Marlin Firearms: A History of The Guns and The Company That Made Them
http://www.amazon.com/Marlin-Firearms-History-Guns-Company/dp/0811708772

This has been a long time favorite. It is a book with a lot of history!

Pick it up on Amazon fairly reasonable and some other interesting specimens.

Another one that comes to mind is More Guns Less Crime 3rd Edition
http://www.amazon.com/More-Guns-Less-Crime-Understanding/dp/0226493660/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1333163416&sr=1-1

These are the two keepers I refer to quiet a bit.

22-rimfire

March 30, 2012, 11:18 PM

Since I like Colts, I like The Book of Colt Firearms by Sutherland & Wilson.

You can often find some budget prices general firearms books at places like Books A Million that deal with multiple manufacturers. I buy them when I see them and they look interesting.

The S&W book is a good choice if you like S&W handguns.

Gun Digests and Shooters Bibles are good general references. They are updated yearly. I have the Gun Digests back to 1950 which is a bit big for a coffee table.

The Ruger book by Wilson is a good coffee table book and I see you have a few Rugers.

Lt.Dan

March 30, 2012, 11:26 PM

Good to see another MSGO member on here haha.

TennJed

March 30, 2012, 11:37 PM

thanks guys keep them coming

fireman 9731

March 30, 2012, 11:47 PM

A have "A Visual History of Firearms" book, its pretty good.

Certaindeaf

March 30, 2012, 11:58 PM

Jane's Quarterly is pretty neat.

icanthitabarn

March 31, 2012, 12:05 AM

I have one called Gun----a visual history. small book but packed with photos mostly real old stuff and military

Peanut15

March 31, 2012, 12:11 AM

Gun Digest Book of the Revolver by Grant Cunningham

Leanwolf

March 31, 2012, 12:15 AM

Hell, I Was There, by Elmer Keith.

Lots of pictures, stories, and history of a time that will never be again.

L.W.

DoubleTapDrew

March 31, 2012, 12:18 AM

I've got this one, although the price seems to have increased about tenfold:
The Great Book of Guns (http://www.amazon.com/The-Great-Book-Guns-Illustrated/dp/159223304X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333167348&sr=8-1)

And this one, which is pretty entertaining:
The World's Worst Weapons (http://www.amazon.com/Worlds-Weapons-Exploding-Malfunctioning-Missiles/dp/0760785813/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1333167445&sr=1-1)

moewadle

March 31, 2012, 12:21 AM

The World's Most Famous handguns or something like that...of course it includes ones like the Luger, SAA, 1911, etc. What is interesting is that this could appeal to non-gun also because it gives history, there are some color photos with each one plus a simple color cutaway diagram showing how each of them work. Great book for having out like the OP would like.

Certaindeaf

March 31, 2012, 12:30 AM

Hell, I Was There, by Elmer Keith.

Lots of pictures, stories, and history of a time that will never be again.

L.W.
That right there.

DesertFox

March 31, 2012, 01:30 AM

The one I've got. (http://www.amazon.com/The-Illustrated-Book-Guns-Directory/dp/1571452877)

Dr.Rob

March 31, 2012, 03:30 AM

Safari Rifles by Boddington is one of my faves.

I don't have Steel Canvas or Packing Iron but they are big coffee table books full of historical guns and leather.

bannockburn

March 31, 2012, 06:30 AM

Colt-An American Legend by R.L. Wilson

The World of Beretta-An International Legend by R.L. Wilson

303tom

March 31, 2012, 07:04 AM

Hatcher`s Notebook................

content

March 31, 2012, 07:41 AM

Hello friends and neighbors // Alot of good pic books listed.

Winchester an American Legend is great with both pics and info.

The one book of mine, most folks pick up is Exploded Gun Drawings, a Gun Digest book.
Everyone wants to see their gun broken down.

parsimonious_instead

March 31, 2012, 08:02 AM

Well, if you want to do a "random walk" I'd suggest simply going to the bargain section of any major bookseller - there are a lot of "gun books" that are loaded with pictures and illustrations.
To get specific:

Armed America: Pictures of Gun Owners in their Homes - fascinating book by Kyle Cassidy. Excellent photos that capture the essence of the people he visited. I actually met one of them, a nice fellow named Ry, which only further confirms this.

Chicks With Guns by Lindsay McCrum. Although there are a handful of truly sublime images, it falls short of Armed America's consistency, but still a great work on its own, if for no other reason than its subject matter and excellent cover photo.

wuluf

March 31, 2012, 11:51 AM

The Treasury of the Gun (http://www.amazon.com/Treasury-Gun-Harold-L-Peterson/dp/B001SV6LI0)
and
The Peacemakers (http://www.amazon.com/The-Peacemakers-Arms-Adventure-American/dp/0679404945)

Both largish books full of great pictures and info..

searcher451

March 31, 2012, 12:01 PM

"Walther: A German Legend" by Manfred Kersten. It's a bit on the pricy side, but the photos are wonderful if you are a Walther fan ... and they are wonderful even if you aren't.

alsaqr

March 31, 2012, 01:13 PM

Janes Infantry Weapons

SharpsDressedMan

March 31, 2012, 02:43 PM

"Packing Iron", a great photo history of holsters. Skeeter Skelton"s Good Friends, Good Guns, Good Whiskey" or "Hoglegs, Hipshots, & Jalapenos" for short stories.

danez71

March 31, 2012, 03:09 PM

Chicks with Guns

This is a classy book that is primarily pictures with personal statements written by the women themselves.

Here's a link to a few of the pictures.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/44611953/ns/today-books/

Tomcat47

March 31, 2012, 03:42 PM

Hell, I Was There, by Elmer Keith.

Good One!.... I had let that one slip my mind....

Another good one with Hunting in mind is:
A Look at Life From A Deer Stand Steve Chapman

This is a great book for the Hunter....Highly Recommend!

BADSBSNF81

March 31, 2012, 07:53 PM

ARS MECHANICA -
The Ulitmate FN Book

sugarmaker

March 31, 2012, 08:03 PM

The Winchester book by Madis
Cartridges of the World

4v50 Gary

March 31, 2012, 08:08 PM

WHB Smith's Small Arms of the World. History, disassembly instructions, reassembly instructions and operating instructions. All gun people should own it.

moewadle

March 31, 2012, 08:11 PM

is the title I was trying to remember earlier in this thread. It is by Roger Ford and I think is an excellent book and about the right level to appeal to non-shooters as well, of course, as shooters. Go to Amazon and I bet you can find it reasonable.

Late correction: The title is really THE WORLD'S GREAT HANDGUNS by Roger Ford

oneounceload

March 31, 2012, 08:27 PM

Any of the coffee table books sold by Connecticut Shotgun on firearm engraving by Fracassi, Perdersoli, Creative Art etc. Eye candy you would not believe possible on a gun

dstegjas

March 31, 2012, 08:39 PM

The Elmer Keith books are always good. I also like the ones I have listed below.

Winchester An American Legend (http://www.amazon.com/Winchester-American-Legend-R-L-Wilson/dp/0785818936/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333240346&sr=8-1)

Colt An American Legend (http://www.amazon.com/Colt-American-Legend-R-L-Wilson/dp/0896600114/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333240639&sr=8-1)

Jim

Stevie-Ray

March 31, 2012, 08:44 PM

Small Arms of the World

mac66

March 31, 2012, 09:18 PM

Remington 22 Rimfire Rifles. Absolutely beautiful book on the history and development of Remington's rimfires.

Walt Snyder's Ithaca books, both of them. I've got both of them sitting on my coffee table, they get a lot of thumbing-through bu friends when they come to visit.

jim in Anchorage

April 1, 2012, 03:45 AM

Flayderman's guide to antique American firearms. Fascinating book, must read.

IlikeSA

April 1, 2012, 05:20 AM

http://www.amazon.com/1911-The-First-100-Years/dp/1440211159

This would be a good one to have.

baylorattorney

April 1, 2012, 08:19 AM

Chicks with Guns

This is a classy book that is primarily pictures with personal statements written by the women themselves.

Here's a link to a few of the pictures.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/44611953/ns/today-books/

+1. Seems to be the rage

The_Armed_Therapist

April 1, 2012, 10:53 AM

Boston T. Party's Gun Bible

ol' scratch

April 1, 2012, 03:51 PM

This one is good http://www.amazon.com/The-Great-Book-Guns-Illustrated/dp/159223304X What about one of these. http://www.toxel.com/inspiration/2011/11/27/book-guns/ This one is good too. http://www.amazon.com/The-Illustrated-History-Firearms-Association/dp/0785827382

ol' scratch

April 1, 2012, 03:52 PM

Walt Snyder's Ithaca books, both of them. I've got both of them sitting on my coffee table, they get a lot of thumbing-through bu friends when they come to visit.
I'd like to thumb through them to get information on Dad's model 51 and his Mag 10. Maybe I will pick them up for him for Christmas.

Shoot66

April 2, 2012, 07:09 AM

Undersanding Firearm Ballistics.
Then I would pay tribute to Jerry Kuhnhausen`s manuals.
Not too many fancy pictures though.

jahwarrior

April 2, 2012, 11:02 AM

"1911: The First 100 Years," by Patrick Sweeney. I love it; it's a great book, full of informative articles, and loaded with great pictures, not just of 1911s, either.

http://www.amazon.com/1911-The-First-100-Years/dp/1440211159

threoh8

April 2, 2012, 04:28 PM

Samuel Colt: Arms, Art, and Invention (http://www.amazon.com/Samuel-Colt-Invention-Wadsworth-Atheneum/dp/0300111339). My son bought this for me after we saw the Colt Collection, on which the book is based.

Here's the poster from the museum display (a similar one is now in my spare room):

http://www.waconra.com/colt.jpg

scrat

April 2, 2012, 04:32 PM

Six Gun Sound by Sven Crongeyer

Robbins290

April 3, 2012, 05:42 PM

Book of military firearms! I guess you can call it my bible

thorazine

April 3, 2012, 06:45 PM

Best coffee table firearm book

College Girls and Guns

Would have to be my all time favorite periodical.

Rawr! :D

Red October

April 4, 2012, 11:48 AM

Bolt Action Military Rifles of the World

the iron horse

April 5, 2012, 09:35 PM

The U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights

TennJed

April 5, 2012, 11:18 PM

The U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights
Not quite the PICTURE book I am looking for

sgtstryker

April 6, 2012, 08:17 PM

Just got the Standard Catalog Of S & W, it's great, lots of info. Also, Always Faithful..Eric Hammel's new book on Marines in the Pacific. It's his best 100 photos, lots of Marines with guns, if you like that sort of thing....I Do !